Our Mission

Nvak (which means music in Armenian) is a music education program whose mission is to discover, educate, and launch the careers of talented young musicians in countries facing social, political, and/or economic disadvantages.

We connect our students (ages 14-24) with other professionals from the music business to use music as a way of starting dialogue, fostering collaboration, and finding job opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

Our program focuses on teaching modern, commercial music-making, with a special emphasis on technology, DIY (Do-It-Yourself) technique, and innovation.

Why Nvak?

Nvak is a unique non-profit music model in that it not only offers students an opportunity to learn new skill sets, but also offers music industry exposure and opportunities with relevant tastemakers year-round. Nvak has demonstrated that, through our knowledge and connections, we can take our students beyond education and into meaningful career development. The impact is proven. The universal language of music and the process of collaboration are organic tools for fostering change.

Non-Conventional Music Education

And What That Means

Most music education programs focus on the preservation, interpretation, and emulation of canonical works - meaning classical, folk, and jazz. Nvak does not. We focus on what students are actually listening to: Top 40 music in a variety of popular genres.

By focusing on styles of music that young people like and listen to, Nvak is able to:

Attract more applicants from diverse communities, nationalities, and socioeconomic groups.

Empower students to make music that can engage their peers, reach wider communities, and garner music industry interest.

Engage students of all skill levels - from novices to advanced musicians.

Build a multi-disciplinary program that teaches skills beyond music.

We know that not every person who studies music goes on to become a musician. By emphasizing a DIY approach, incorporating technology, and staging events - with students participating hands-on at each stage of the process - we teach complementary marketable skills.

Within our full curriculum, this includes everything from STEM fields such as electrical wiring, sound physics, and circuit technology; to Liberal Arts such as event coordination, marketing, and management.

Nvak is one of the best things that has happened to me. Nvak allows me be my real self, and that is one of the many reasons why I love it

— Elen, Nvak Class of 2017

Two Year Goals

Offer Nvak participants more master classes and workshops with skilled music educators and successful pop musicians, producers, and influencers.

Regularly release student recordings for commercial distribution, and aggressively pursue film, television, and commercial music placement, radio airplay, and other forms of exposure, including song placement in top Spotify and Apple Music playlists.

Further develop our efforts in Jerusalem to establish an annual program that is fully customized to best serve the needs of the region.

Five Year Goals

Expand our Pop-Up program into new regions. Using feedback from each iteration, identify where Nvak can have the greatest impact and build a recurring presence in these regions. It is our goal to establish such presences in new territories at least every two years.

Expand Nvak Yerevan from a seasonal workshop program to a year-round international music conservatory and local hub for artists and musicians.

Procure and develop a dedicated Nvak facility in Yerevan, Armenia. With students, transform this space into a cooperative rehearsal, recording, teaching, and performance space run and maintained by local students that offers year-round access.

Our facility development process will also function as a hands-on educational workshop in engineering/electronics, music tech, and community engagement.